In today’s ever-changing business climate businesses must be ready to adapt to the changing needs of their clients in order to grow. They must be willing to listen to what their needs are and be willing to meet them. I am not saying to constantly change the structure of your company but be sure you have some flexibility in your business model. It’s the ability to adapt that makes process documentation even more import especially for small business owners.

I know what some people are thinking process documentation is designed to take away flexibility and make for rigid rules and systems. It makes robots out of employee’s right and it’s a way for the company to eliminate jobs. Well if that is your view let me clearly state you are wrong. It’s a common misconception that I am working to change.   William Edwards Deming creator of the Deming system of Profound Knowledge described processes this way “if you can’t describe what your doing as a process then you don’t know what your doing.”

Processes are actually meant to allow businesses to focus on growth and can be used in a variety of ways.  So let’s start changing the view and use process documentation to help you serve your customers better.  When you look at some of the most successful large corporations such as McDonalds or Nordstrom’s one of the factors that makes them successful is that they have embraced the value of process documentation. They have created successful systems so that customers know what to expect. This consistency is what keeps customers coming back.

This same consistency allows a business owner to be able to meet a change in what customers want more effectively. It’s hard to make a change or tell if it’s successful if you don’t know where you started.  It also will help you to empower your employees when they do not have to focus always on the smallest details from memory they can instead use their individual strengths to improve what they do and how it impacts the company both internally and externally. From a sports view think of it like this once you have the basics down pat then you can really focus on how to improve and excel at what you do. By documenting key processes you can create this same atmosphere of excellence within your company.

Let me provide a word of caution though don’t just start documenting everything with no plan in place. This decision also should be a process and focused on the key areas that take the most time, have the most turnover or will most impact your clients or final product.  In other words those things that will really help your company get to the next level, be fluid, scalable and stand apart from the competition.

Using a personal example I want to show how processes documentation can help you in different ways. Since I work with processes I am always trying to think of how I can utilize them in my business more and also help my clients. One of the tools I have done this with is LinkedIn. Here is how the process I use for this tool led to a Board of Directors Position.

Step 1:  Made a new contact by email after joining the Association of Professional Business Writers (APBW) www.apbw.us. 

Step 2: Invited contact to join my LinkedIn network. I do this within 48 hours of meeting a new contact so they remember me and my business. In this case it was the Director of the Association.

Step 3: Once connected I send a follow-up email to connect more and learn ways we can help each other and share respective goals and missions.

Step 4: Look to meet by phone or in person. In this case I learned Association was local to me so we arranged a meeting. As a result we realized the synergy with my company and its services and the growth of the Association. So I was asked to join the Board of Directors as well.

So because I had a set documented process in place I could focus on the opportunity. This allowed me to be creative and ask the right questions.  It helped me to build a real rapport and connect with a great association. So don’t wait start making your business better today. The environment is fast paced you don’t want to be left behind. So Ready Set Document! It will make all the difference.

 If you or your company is interested in supporting the APBW or working with Strive, please contact Colette Releford directly at 301-591-0940 or creleford@strivebusinesssolutions.com